Think of Christmas and the flavours that come to mind are warming spices and rich, comforting foods. For Christmas 2022, square chocolate maker Ritter Sport launched a new limited edition flavour combining white chocolate and cinnamon.
This bar features white chocolate studded with crispy rice pieces and crispy cinnamon pieces, so not a million miles away from this tasty Lidl bar.
But is it festive enough? Does it taste like Christmas, or is it more like Scrooge? I put it to the test.
Packaging
The colour scheme for this bar is a bright peach. The Ritter Sport logo sits in the centre of the square-shaped packaging, with stylised "White Cinnamon Crisp" text at the bottom. To the left sits a a bright green graphic explaining that the cocoa used in this bar is 100% certified and sustainable. A graphic of a couple of segments sits to the top right, along with a graphic of cinnamon bark to further cement its flavour.
The rear of the packaging features small white text on the bright peach background, which doesn't provide the best contrast for easy reading. The ingredients and nutritional information is printed in English, Italian, and Danish.
Ritter Sport White Cinnamon Crisp Chocolate Bar ingredients:
Sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, lactose, rice, liquid sugar, butterfat, cinnamon (0.5%), emulsifier (soya lecithin), icing sugar, salt, barley malt extract.
It's always disappointing to see sugar listed as the primary ingredient, and here, it helps drive the sugar value of this bar to an eye-watering 61%. That's right, nearly two-thirds of this chocolate bar is sugar-based.
The cocoa in this bar is Rainforest Alliance certified. Text at the bottom of the packaging explains that cocoa is sourced from long-term partnerships.
Ritter Sport White Cinnamon Crisp Chocolate Bar Review
The packaging offers an easy peel opening mechanism that does a reasonable job at resealing, should you wish to save some chocolate until later.
The bar is cast in the usual 4 x 4 grid that Ritter Sport favours for its 100g bars, with their logo cast in each segment.
It's heavily speckled with brown chocolate puffed rice lumps sat in the pale cream chocolate. The aroma is heavily spiced, with clear cinnamon notes but also a hint of citrus along with milky vibes.
The snap has a muffled quality to it, and while it breaks easily along the pre-cast grooves, the snap weaves in and around the brown crispy pieces.
Cinnamon leads in the taste. It's forceful and lends a slightly spicy kick to the bar, with the suggestion of citrus, too. The chocolate adds a vanilla background, and as you crunch, imparts a wave of sweetness and creaminess. The brown crunch pieces are reminiscent of Coco Pops, and these help add a playful textural element to this bar.
The aftertaste sees the spicy cinnamon flavour linger, although the sweetness fades fairly quickly.
This bar is very much on the sweet side, and I found four segments at a time was plenty. Your mileage may differ.
Overall, I say it delivers on the three things the product name promises: white chocolate; cinnamon (if perhaps a little too much); and crispiness. Does it feel festive? Surprisingly, yes. Ritter Sport's heavy handedness with the cinnamon powder may make this bar quite divisive, but it does feel like a comforting hug on a chilly day.
Ritter Sport White Cinnamon Crisp Chocolate Bar Review
RRP: £0.99 | Ritter Sport | Shop now
There is no mistaking that this bar is aimed at those who question Ritter Sport's focus on flavour. Cinnamon is the star of the show here, and delivers an intense kick with a warming heat. The crunchy puffed rice adds a playful texture and helps balance out the bar nicely. Close your eyes and you can picture a snowy scene as you hold a steaming mug of cinnamon spiced white hot chocolate, so I think this delivers on its remit as a festive chocolate bar.
Where to Buy Online
I bought my bar from Lidl. It since appears to have been discontinued, or is a seasonal line (keep your eyes peeled for Christmas 2023). There's a small quantity available on Amazon° and eBay° at the time of writing.
It might be available to import where it might be named "Weisse Zimt Crisp", but I struggled to find any available stocks at my usual haunts.
Should Ritter Sport bring this back for 2023? Let me know in a comment below.
